This program WILL BE RECORDED.

Course dates are on Mondays, January 12, 26 and February 9, and 23, 2026 @ 7:30PM-9:30PM.

Carl Jung’s psychology is an important contribution to the age-old quest to “know thyself” – a contribution attuned to the challenges of life in the modern world. But as Jung himself pointed out, “self-knowledge is one of the most difficult and exacting of the arts.” The work of self-knowledge, which Jung called individuation, is paradoxical in nature. It involves as much not-knowing as it does knowing, as much self-emptying as it does self-realization. In this way, individuation can be understood as a contemplative practice, the aim of which is similar to the contemplative practices of the religious traditions: to guide the individual towards a realization of the true self.

In this class, we will reflect on Jung’s concept of individuation through the lens of the contemplative and apophatic (transcending names and concepts) dimension of religion. We will consider the implications of approaching individuation as a process of self-emptying and of Jung’s understanding of the psyche as what he calls “the greatest of all cosmic wonders.” 

Suggested reading:

The Undiscovered Self by C.G. Jung

The Development of the Personality by C.G. Jung

Prices

Non-Members:  $135.00/ticket

Individual Members:  $100.00/ticket

Senior 65+ Members/Student Members:  $80.00/ticket

Jason E. Smith is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. He is the creator and host of the podcast Digital Jung and the author of Religious but Not Religious: Living a Symbolic Life (Chiron Publications). Jason is a past president of the C.G. Jung Institute of Boston (now of New England) and serves as a training analyst and faculty member for the New England Institute.

DETAILS OF THE PROGRAM

Registration closes at 12:00pm EST the day before the program begins. 

RECORDINGS:  The recording will be sent out 24-48 hours after the session has concluded. You will have 14 days to watch the recording.  

ZOOM LINKS: Zoom links can be found in your registration confirmation email. They will also be shared about 24 hours before the program start time. Registration closes before Zoom links are shared. If you do not receive your link 24 hours in advance, please reach out asap directly to support@jung.org

CANCELLATION: You may cancel your registration up to 1 week prior to the program.

By agreeing to enroll in an online program offered by the Jung Society of Washington, you are also agreeing to comply with our terms. This means that you cannot record (through internal or external devices) the audio, visuals (photos), or  any videos of the program. The intellectual property belongs to the presenter, and we ask you not to violate this policy. Also, we highly value the anonymity of the content of the program, of the presenters, and of individuals present in the program, and hope that everyone can contribute to a respectful and trust-building online environment. Thank you!